Coin-controlled vending-machine.



G. G. GLAWSONV COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1902.

969,844, Patented Sept-13,1910.

3 BHEBTB-SHEET 1.

Ry, z. i l

G. G. OLAWSON.

COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIQATION FILED AUG.4, 1908. 969,844. Patented Sept. 13,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H v M- k Foy Ml? N W M W LH W WHMHW G. G. CLAWSON. COIN CONTROLLEDVENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILBD no.4, 1908.

969,844, Patented Sept. 13,1910.

3 BEEBTB-BHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLEMENT C. CLAWSON, OF FLAGTOWN, NEW JERSEY.

COIN-CONTROLLED VENDIN G-MACHIN E.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLEMENT G. CLAW- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Flagtown, in the county of Somerset and Stateof New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCoinControlled Vending-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to improvements in coin-controlled vendingmachines, and it consists in the novel features and structurehereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

While my invention is capable of embodiment in machines adapted for thesale of various articles, I present the same herein, for illustration,in a machine intended for the sale of flat rectangular packagescontaining a towel and a piece of soap wrapped therein, and said machinecomprises a cabinet to contain a stack of the packages, a stationaryplate at the bottom of the cabinet containing an opening whose edges areon the same vertical planes as the inner walls of the cabinet, a rotarygoods-ejector plate directly below said stationary plate and having anopening corresponding with the opening therein, a base-plate directlybelow said goods-ejector plate and having an opening corresponding withthe opening in said stationary plate but at opposite portions always outof register therewith, and suitable receptacles below said base-plate toreceive the coins and temporarily support the packages discharged fromthe stack by the goods ejector. Then the ejector-plate is in its initialposition the stack of packages, at its corners, rests on the base-platewith the bottom package within the opening in the ejector-plate, saidopening then being in register with the opening at the bottom of thecabinet and out of register with the opening in said base-plate, andwhen the ejectorplate is moved to its operated position its opening andthe package therein are turned into register with the opening in saidbaseplate and out of register with the opening at the bottom of thecabinet, whereby the package in the ejector-plate becomes unsupportedand falls through the opening in the base-plate and the stack is leftsupported, at its corners, on said ejector-plate. iVhen theejector-plate is returned to its initial position, its opening passesinto register with the opening at the bottom of the cabinet and thestack settles down on the base-plate, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 4, 1908.

Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

Serial No. 446,859.

bottom package entering the opening in the ejector disk or plate andresting at its corner portions on said base-plate.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed descriptionhereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a vendingmachine, constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention; Fig.2 is a detached perspective view of one of the packages sold by themachine; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, partly broken away, through thecabinet of the machine, about on the dotted line 33 of Fig. 1, theejector plate being indicated in its initial position preparatory to themachine being operated; Fig. i is a substantially corresponding sectionof the same illustrating the ejector plate in its operated position, theaperture in said plate then being in vertical line with the aperture inthe base plate on which it rests; Fig. 5 is a vertical sect-ion througha portion of the machine on the dotted line 55 of Fig. 3, the ejectorplate being indicated in its initial position by solid lines and in itsoperated position by dotted lines; Fig. 6

is a detached perspective view of the lower portion of the cabinet andplate secured to the bottom thereof and forming a chamber to receive therotary goods ejector plate; Fig. 7 is a detached perspective view of thegoods ejector plate; Fig. 8 is a detached perspective view of the baseplate to which a coin receptacle and a receptacle for the goods sold aresecured and upon which the bottom plate shown in Fig. 6 is secured withthe goods ejector plate shown in Fig. 7 resting within the circularchamber represented in Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a detached sectional viewthrough a portion of the assembled plates represented in Figs. 6, 7 and8, and is presented to illustrate the operation of the spring dog whichprevents the rotation of the goods ejector plate at improper times, Fig.9 showing a coin in the coin hole of the ejector plate with the springdog riding over it in regular operation of the machine; and Fig. 10 is alike view of the same illustrating the operation of the dog inpreventing the rotation of the ejector plate when a coin is absent fromthe coin receiving hole in said plate.

In the drawings, 15 designates the cabinet of the machine, 16 aremovable front plate 25.

door for the same, 17 a stack of packages held within said cabinet andto be sold, and 18 a suitable weight placed upon the upper end of thestack 17 for assuring the downward feed of the packages.

Upon the lower end of the cabinet 15 is secured a frame comprising aplate 19 having an upwardly extending flange 20 to receive the loweredges of the cabinet 15 and a downwardly extending flange 21 which restsupon a base-plate 22 and forms, with an auxiliary flange 23 (Fig. 6), acylindrical chamber for the rotary goods-ejector The plate 19 has formedin it within the outline of the flange 20 an opening 26 which is invertical line with the inner surfaces of the cabinet 15 and of anoutline corresponding with the packages 17 to be sold by the machine. Atone portion the flange 21 curves inwardly to form the receiving space 27for the coins to be fed in the machine, and said flange 21 at the space27 and along a line extending to one side thereof is cut away, as at 28,to form a runway for the handle 29 of the goods ejector plate 25.

Adjacent to the runway 28 and pivotally secured to the underside of theplate 19, within the outline of the flange 21, is a dog 30 which isacted upon by a spring 31. The operating end of the dog 30 constantlypresses downwardly against the goods ejector plate 25, and when a coin32 is in the receiving hole 33 of said plate, the dog 30 will permit theplate 25 and coin 32 to ride along under it in the manner denoted inFig. 9. Should, however, an attempt be made to operate the plate 25without the coin being in the hole 33, the dog 30 would have itsoperative end projected into said hole 33 and check the movement of theplate 25, in the manner indicated in Fig. 10. The dog 30 prevents theoperation of the plate 25 when the hole 33 is empty, or when a. coindeficient in thickness is placed in said hole, or when a coin or pieceor metal of greater than the predetermined thickness is placed in saidhole, and also when a washer is placed in the hole 33. If a coin orpiece of metal of greater than the predetermined thickness is placed inthe hole 33, the dog 30 will engage its edge and stop the movement ofthe plate 25, and should a washer be placed in the hole 33, thedownwardly projecting end of the dog would enter the hole in the washerand operate to prevent any further movement of the plate 25.

The goods ejector plate 25 is a plain flat plate having an opening 34therein corre sponding with the opening 26 in the plate 19 andencompassed by an upwardly extending edge-flange 35 which gives to theplate 25 around the opening 34 a depth or thickness equal to thethickness of the individual packages 17, which, one after another, enterthe opening 34 and are, by the rotation of the plate 25, moved to apositlon at which they may descend or fall through said opening. Thehole 33 in the plate 25 1s of a dimension to snugly receive a five centpiece or such other coin as may be determined upon, and the plate 25about the hole 33 should be of the same thickness as the coin to beplaced'in said hole so that when the coin is in the hole, the uppersurface of the coin may be on a level with the upper surface of theplate. The plate 25 is formed with an operating handle 29 and also witha segmental slot 36 which permits of the passage of a screw from thehole 37 (Fig. 6) 1n the plate 19 to the hole 38 (Fig. 8) in the baseplate 22 without interfering with the rotation of the plate 25. Theplate 25 is received snugly within the lower edges of the circularflanges 21, 23, and is concealed within the chamber formed by saidflanges except at the handle 29 which always projects outwardly and withthe exception of that portion of the plate which maybe exposed at theopening 27 for admitting the coin to the hole 33 in said plate 25.

The base-plate 22 affords a support for the goods ejector plate 25, andcloses the lower end of the chamber formed by the flanges 21, 23. Attheir rear edges the plates 19, 22 abut against the wall to which thecabinet 15, inan angular relation, may be secured by suitable brackets,not shown. The baseplate 22 has formed in it a hole 39 of rectangularoutline corresponding in size and shape with the hole 34 in the plate 25and the hole 26 in the plate 19. The plate 22 is also formed with a hole40 which is slightly less in diameter than the coin receiving hole 33 inthe plate 25 and is directly below said hole 33 when the latter is inthe position to receive a coin, the latter resting at its edges on theplate 22 over the hole 40 and within the hole 33. If a small coin orpiece of metal should be placed in the hole 33, it would not besupported around the edges of the hole 40 but would fall through saidhole. The plate 22 is also formed with an opening 41, the latter beingin a position to permit a coin in the hole 33 to fall through it whenthe goods ejector plate 25 has been moved to its operated position.Below the plate 22 is secured a receptacle 42 having a front opening 43.Each package discharged by the ejector plate 25 falls into thereceptacle 42 and may be removed through the opening 43 thereof. Uponthe side of the receptacle 42 is provided a coin receiver or receptacle44, the latter being hinged at its lower inner edges to the side of thereceptacle 42 and provided with a lock 45 for securing it in its closedposition.

In the. employment of the invention the packages 17 will be stackedwithin the cabi-.

net 15, and the goods ejector plate 25 being in its initial positionshown in Figs. 1 and 3, the lower package of the stack will be withinthe hole 34: of said plate 25, as shown in Fig. 5,but will be preventedfrom falling through said hole 34 because of the fact that it is restingat its four corners on the base plate 22. When the ejector plate 25 isin its initial position the hole 34 therein has its side and end edgeson the same vertical, plane with the hole 26 in the plate 19, and atthis time the entire stack of packages finds its bearing upon the plate22 whose hole 39 is not on the same vertical plane with the hole 34k inthe plate and hole 26 in the plate 19, but lies angularly across theplane of said holes 31, 26, thereby exposing portions of the plate 22 towhat may be said to be the corners of the stack of packages. The hole 39in the plate 22 is always in cross-angular relation to the hole 26 inthe plate 19 indicated in Fig. 3, and when the plate 25 is in itsinitial position, its hole is directly on the same vertical. plane withsaid hole 26. After a nickel has been placed in the hole of the plate 25the latter may be rotated within the flanges 21, 33, the handle 29moving along the recess 28 until the hole 34: in said plate moves intoan angular relation to the hole 26 in the plate 19 and into exactparallelism with the hole 39 in the plate This movement of the plate 25results in the bottom package 17 inclosed within its hole 34 moving withthe plate and passing into exact vertical alinement with the hole 39 inthe plate 22, the result being that when the plate 25 reaches itsoperated position, the package which was confined in the hole 34: isleft unsupported and falls through the hole 39 and into the receptacle42, whence it may be taken by hand through the front opening 43. At eachend of the recess 28 is formed a shoulder against which the handle 29will strike for arresting the plate 25 in its initial position and inits operated position. The only moving parts the machine possesses arethe goods ejector plate 25 and dog 30, and with each movement of theplate 25 from its initial position shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, to itsoperated position shown in Fig. 4, one paclc age 17 will be leftunsupported and fall into the receptacle 42. During the movement of theejector plate 25 from its initial position to its operated position,said plate, while moving the bottom package to a position to fallthrough the hole 39 in the plate 22, supports all of the remainingpackages in the stack, said plate angularly turning the lower packageinto vertical line with the hole 39 and at the same time causing thesides and ends of its hole 34 to cross the corners of the hole 26 in theplate 19, said edges, represented by the flanges 35, taking the positionindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5 and supporting the entire stack ofpackages above them. Upon the return of the ejector plate 25 to itsinitial position, the edges of the hole 3t will pass into exact verticalline with the edges of the hole 26 in the plate 19, and upon attainingsuch position the entire stack of packages will settle down and becomesupported on the plate 22, as before, the bottom package of the stackpassing into the hole 3-t of said plate 25 preparatory to being carriedto its discharging position upon the next operation of said plate 25.When the plate 25 is in its initial position the stack of packages istherefore support-ed directly on the plate and when the plate 25 ismoving toward and is at its operated position, the stack of packages,less the bottom package, rests, at its corners, on said plate 25.

I have hereinbeit'ore sntlicicntly described the operation of the dog30. l

The plate '19 covers the movable goodsejector-plate 25 and in theconstruction shown extends below the edges of the cabinet 15, but it isnot essential, though preferable, to extend the plate 19 below the edgesof the cabinet since the cabinet is open at its lower end andcorresponds at said opening with the polygonal openings in thegoodscjcctor-plate 25 and base-plate 22.

The chamber within the cabinet correspends in crosssectional outlinewith the shape of the rectangular packages 17, which are all of uniformrectangular edge outline and uniformly stacked one upon the other, theside walls of said chamber serving to confine the stack of packages andguide the same as it gradually lowers through said chamber. The packages17 are square in edge outline, and the openings 26, 3-tand 39,respectively, in the bottom of the cabinet, plate 25 and plate 22 are ofuniform size and square in edge outline.

One of the advantages of my invention is that the openin s 26, 34 and 39are always directly below one another, although not having their edgeson the same vertical planes with one another, and the result of this isthat the chamber in the cabinet may have smooth plain walls, that theapparatus is strong and compact, that it may dispense packages which aresquare in edge outline and that the packages may be uniformly stackedone upon another, as distinguished from being cross stacked as expressedand shown in the prior art.

I have shown and described the details of the most satisfactoryembodiment of the invention known to me, without intending to confine myclaims to such embodiment further than the claims themselves indicate.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. In a vending machine, a cabinet con taining a vertical chamber whichis rectangular in cross-section and adapted to snugly receive a stack ofuniformly piled rectangular packages to be sold, the bottom of saidchamber being entirely open, as at 26, for the descent of said packages,a rotary goods ejector plate below and free of said cabinet and having arectangular opening 34 corresponding with and directly below the openlower end of said chamber and being of a depth to receive the lower oneof said packages and of an outline to engage the edges of said packagefor turning it individually on its central vertical axis, and abase-plate 22 below said rotary goods ejector plate having a rectangularopening 39 corresponding with and directly below the open bottom of saidchamber and said opening 3% and standing in cross-angular relation tothe open bottom of said cabinet so that said base-plate may support thestack of packages at the four corner portions of the same over saidopening 89 in the inoperated position of said goods ejector plate andsaid goods ejector plate support said stack at its four corner portionswhen in its operated position, said ejector-plate having means foroperating it, combined with a receptacle 42 below the said plate 22 toreceive the packages which fall through said opening 39, said receptaclebeing provided with an opening 43 for the removal of the packagestherefrom; substantially as set forth.

2. In a vending machine, a cabinet containing a vertical chamber whichis rectangular in cross-section and adapted to snugly receive a stack ofuniformly piled rectangular packages to be sold, the bottom of saidchamber being entirely open, as at 26, for the descent of said packages,a rotary goods ejector plate 25 below and free of said cabinet andhaving a rectangular opening 34: corresponding with and directly belowthe open lower end of said chamber, and being of a depth to receive thelower one of said packages and of an outline to engage the edges of saidpackage for turning it individually on its central vertical axis, and abase-plate 22 below said rotary goods ejector plate having a rectangularopening 39 corresponding with and directly below the open bottom of saidchamber and said opening 34 and standing in cross-angular relation tothe open bottom of said cabinet so that said base-plate may support thestack of packages at the four corner portions of the same over saidopening 39 in the inoperated position of said goods ejector plate andsaid goods ejector plate support said stack at its four corner portionswhen in its operated position, and a frame at the lower end of thecabinet comprising a plate 19 having an upwardly extending flange 20 toreceive the lower edges of the cabinet and downwardly extending flanges21, 23 engaging the said base-plate and affording a chamber for saidgoods-ejector plate, said ejector-plate having means for operating it,combined with a receptacle 42 below the said plate 22 to receive thepackages which fall through said opening 39, said receptacle beingprovided with an opening 43 for the removal of the pack ages therefrom;substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York, and State of NewYork, this third day of August A. D. 1908.

CLEMENT C. CLAWSON. Witnesses HERMAN GUsTow',

CHAS. C. GILL.

